Article: `Ghost nets' haunt waters: Abandoned fishing gear endangers marine life.(The Seattle Times)

REID HARBOR, Wash. _ As killer whales breached nearby and curious seals checked out the underwater work crew, teams of divers last week bundled up and brought to the surface a 300- to 400-foot chunk of fishing net that had been snagged on an underwater pinnacle just south of Stuart Island since sometime last fall.

The abandoned purse seine _ a "ghost net," as divers call them _ continued trapping and killing lingcod and rockfish, rare long box crabs, and it definitely was a hazard for recreational divers.

It was "waving around like giant bedsheets on a clothesline," said Doug Williams, a master senior diver with the state Department of Natural Resources, ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!